By the 1870’s, Schiffli machines were widely used in Switzerland and quickly spread to other countries throughout the world. The first machines were relatively small and were operated by a couple of workers, usually women. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, some Schiffli machines are up to 18 metres in length and equipped with over one thousand needles. The Schiffli machine can make a wide range of embroideries, as well as imitation lace forms. The advent of computer driven machines with design software, still using the Schiffli machine principles, has meant that just about any form of design, no matter how complex, can be created using a wide range of stitches.